


Des Reflets Changeant

by lolahardy



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, M/M, mermaid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 18:22:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7233595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lolahardy/pseuds/lolahardy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Arthur nearly drowns, a mermaid save his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Des Reflets Changeant

**Author's Note:**

> Edited by the always wonderful and lovely [kitty-trio](http://kitty-trio.tumblr.com)!!

+

 

Near the cliffs, right over the edge, the ocean lived and thrived. 

Since he was a boy, Arthur had constantly gone to the ocean, his home just a stone's throw away and the moment he was allowed to go on his own, he ran to the shore and swam for hours. 

His mother always warned him not to go out too far, to not swim when it rained because the ocean and the rain were in love and struggled to consume each other and whatever was in the way, would be taken as well. Arthur believed his mother's stories and lamented when the rain came but he would watch from the beach as the ocean churned and reached for the water that the heaven poured down. As a child, Arthur would cup his hands and think he would help by throwing handfuls of  rainwater  into the sea.

He was a strong swimmer and on the hottest days, he would jump from the edges of the cliff and swim. He would dive and try to touch the sand below. Sometimes, he found treasures of pearls and coins unearthed. He would feel as if they were gifts from the sea and he would keep them, hidden in a small box in his room. On bright days, he could see forever, the  variety of  plant life that ebbed and flowed with the currents, the schools of fish, the rocks of different colors, secrets the ocean held for those that respected it. 

Day after day, Arthur came to the sea, enjoying, exploring, wishing he could live there, always lamenting the hour he had to go. Always when the sun began to set, Arthur swam to the shore again, gathering his things and returning home. 

Things never changed as Arthur grew up, he went to swim every day well into his teenage years, all the time. One day, he dove off the cliffs as he had a thousand times before and as he surfaced, he noticed the waters were not friendly that day. He could feel the ocean refusing him, not welcoming him today and he took a deep breath, diving beneath the surface to return to shore. As he did, he heard the rumble of the sudden storm clouds rolling above, taking away the sun and Arthur swam faster, knowing he had to leave. While he had stopped believing in the stories his mother told him of the rain and the sea, he still knew better than to be in the water when it rained. But as he emerged for another breath of air, he saw the waves were rolling, pushing and pulling him and Arthur worried, trying to take another breath to continue when he was suddenly splashed and he took a mouthful of water instead, coughing and struggling to keep himself above water.

The struggle turned to panic as it grew dark and darker still and in his confusion, Arthur turned the wrong way, losing sight of the beach. 

_'No..._ ' He thought to himself. ' _I've always respected you, please don't kill me.._.'

He tried to swim anyway and before he knew it, it was as if he had closed his eyes and fell asleep. 

When he woke again, he felt the heat of the sun beating down on him and he thought for a moment, maybe he had died. But he could feel the burn in his throat from the ocean water he had swallowed and he sat up, dizzy and confused. He was on shore...he had not drowned though he was sure he had. 

The ocean was calming down, the beach sand damp from the rain and Arthur stood up, gathering his clothes and returning home.

He didn't return to the ocean for a few days, a bit shaken, though not afraid. He had not told his mother of his near drowning, he felt it would only serve to worry her. But after a few days, he missed the sea. He missed the scent of the ocean, the feel of the breeze on his skin, the warmth of the sun and he decided that he had been shaken enough and decided to return. 

He swam and felt welcomed, the current easing him along, the sun lighting his way and Arthur couldn't even remember ever feeling afraid. 

He bobbed in the water, floating on the surface, his arms outspread, his legs apart and he felt as if he was being cradled. His eyes were closed and he felt at peace, listening to water around him, to the birds flying overhead. He felt at home once more. 

It was during his re-acquaintance with the sea that as he swam underneath, he thought he saw something at the corner of his eye. He turned to see but saw nothing but bubbles and plants clinging to rocks. He eventually surfaced again to take another breath of air.

In the days that followed, Arthur constantly felt as if he was missing something just out of his line of sight, that he was no longer alone, but he never saw anything, just the ocean life beneath in the surface. Not even on the shore or above the cliffs, it was always just him and he wondered if it was still his worry and fear from his near drowning. He decided to just let it be. There was so much life in the water besides his own, he was sure it was just his imagination.

He was wrong.

Many months after his  initial  fear, now forgotten and behind him, he was standing on the cliffs above, still soaked from his earlier swim, his pants sticking to him as he stood and watched over the slow rolls little waves below. On the horizon, he saw the darkness approaching, a storm was coming. Arthur felt he had developed his abilities since then, he was faster now, more sure and he knew he could dive in and swim to shore before the storm came. He was foolish and stubborn and he knew that if he didn't face this, he could never shake the minor fear that had been instilled in him. So, he took a deep breath and jumped. 

The water took him easily, warmly and Arthur sunk beneath the surface and then emerged again, taking a deep breath, shaking his head out and he began towards the shore. 

The ocean now loved him back and Arthur felt the pull of the tide changing, pulling him in and he felt himself be pulled under for a moment before he emerged again and kept going. It was an undertow, he knew it as he struggled to get back to the surface, each pull under gave him less and less of a chance to get a mouthful of air and he knew now that he shouldn't have done this...he should have gone home. He thought of everything that should have kept him on those cliffs and how his stubborn pride made him jump. He should have known better; just because the ocean is calm on the surface, it didn't mean below was any calmer.

He caught sight of the sky above, still bright just before he was pulled under again and he felt himself be dragged beneath, his hands reaching towards anything that could help him. 

It was then he felt it. Strong hands grasping him right beneath his arms and he was pulled up towards air, towards life, towards the sun again. He felt delirious, somewhat dizzy from nearly drowning and he felt something taking him towards the shore. His head hung down but was still kept above the water and in the corner of his eyes, he saw a flip of a tail.

The tail reminded Arthur of the creatures he sometimes saw, whales, dolphins, but it was sheer like a fish's. But he felt the embrace of a man's arm around his chest, keeping him above the surface.

Arthur felt himself being washed up on the shore, the waves washing over him and a warm almost, familiar hand at his face. Through his haze, he could see a face, a handsome man hovering over him, concern in his eyes. The waves crashed around them and Arthur could feel that  familiar  burn at his throat from the salt water, but now he didn't care, he could see the man that saved him. He reached up, mildly wondering if he was dreaming, hallucinating, but he felt skin beneath his fingertips when his hand made contact.

He  began  to talk, the words straining to come out.

"...saved me..."

The man smiled and nodded and Arthur felt the exhaustion  hitting him as he closed his eyes again. When he opened them again, he could feel the the waves breaking on him, the ocean water warm and he sunk into the sand from laying there so long. The sun was merciless and beating down on him but the water was keeping him comfortable. He lifted his head, the sand clinging to his hair, his throat dry and his eyes hurt from the salt and heat. As he focused his vision, he saw the ocean in front of him, the waves rolling towards his bare feet. As he followed the path of water, he saw a shimmering piece of tail and it was then the memories came flooding to him. A man had saved him but...

He turned his head and saw him there, still in the shallow water beside him, his chest bare with dark black marks along his arm, his hair was dry in some parts, turning dark from the wetness but was a sandy color in others. But what stopped Arthur was the fin that started below his  hip bones . There was tattered-like smaller fins along the sides leading down to the end of the large translucent fin. For a moment, Arthur was sure he swallowed a lot of sea water and he was hallucinating but after a moment, he knew it was real - the elements of nature were around him, he could feel his heart beating, he could touch the sand, he could slowly reach over and touch the man...no, the merman? beside him. 

As his fingers touched the skin of his arm, he saw he was awake, his tail flipping slightly as he sat up and smiled. It was quiet, Arthur unsure if he could even communicate with him, but he said something anyway.

"Can...can you understand me?"

His voice was soft and strained but he understood and the mermaid nodded.

"Yes."

Arthur wanted to say something else, ask so much, but instead, he watched as the mermaid reached for his face, pulled him close and kissed him. He kissed him as if he was starved for it, as if he had dreamed of it doing it his whole life. His mouth was warm and soft and Arthur was shocked at first, but then he dissolved into the kiss, nearly falling forward if not for the mermaid holding him, catching him. When he let go, Arthur felt as if he was waking up for a second time.

"Arthur."

The mermaid knew his name and he was shaken to alertness.

"You know my name..."

"Yes. I've seen you here...all your life."

"What's your name?"

"Eames."

Arthur smiled and he was kissed again. 

If not for the sun going down, Arthur would have never left the beach that night, but he promised he would be back the next day and Eames believed him. In the morning, Arthur woke early and left home, rushing to the cliffs high above after leaving his things on the shore. He dove in fearlessly, now feeling as if the ocean had a life made just for him. A guardian sent to protect him, a watchful eye that had always been there for him. The moment he hit the water, breaking the surface and sinking below, he opened his eyes and looked around, hoping, wondering if maybe he really had hallucinated Eames yesterday but when he began to swim, he saw the shimmer of a familiar tail and he turned to see Eames. The mermaid in his element looked even more beautiful than Arthur remembered and he swam up to Arthur, putting his arms around him and kissing him again. He seem to share his breathe with Arthur and it made him swoon just a bit.

Eventually, Arthur went back to the surface to breathe again and Eames followed him. They both smoothed their hair away from their faces and Arthur said,

"You're really here."

Eames smiled.

"I always am."

Every moment that Arthur spent in the water was now even more important. He had Eames to swim with him and while he had always felt fearless in the depths of the sea, with Eames, he felt even more safe than before. He moved faster now, his legs kicking as Eames held his hand and swam with him. And now, while Arthur thought the depths of the ocean were beautiful before, Eames showed him all the wonderful little hidden secrets.

There were treasures from the oysters who gave pearls that Eames broke open and gave to Arthur, to all kinds of glittering coins that Eames hoarded, knowing they were special to Arthur, having watched him collect them over time. Eames didn't understand their meaning, but he knew they were special to Arthur - so they became special to him too. He showed Arthur tucked away little coves that lead to open caves where Arthur could still feel as if he was underwater. There, Eames had gathered treasures or what he thought was treasure and showed it to Arthur. 

"I found these. I thought they were lovely."

Arthur, after getting out of the water and getting close to the treasures that were all within arm's length of the water, he noticed they were items that could be on a ship. Lanterns, chairs, chests, flatware, candlesticks, even paintings that had survived. Eames didn't know what any of those things were so Arthur sat down and picked up one of the objects, a  jewelry  box that had a spinning couple inside, the mirror broken, the velvet lining ruined, but the jewels inside remained. 

"This is a  jewelry  box. These are jewels, important things to people. Just things to decorate one's self with."

Eames looked at the objects with curiosity, lifting one of the rings and sliding it on his finger. It was too small for him, so it stopped half way down and Arthur smiled. Eames smiled too and Arthur explained what some things were and along the way, Eames asked him,

"Are these things important to you?"

"To me? Well...no. None of this is mine. But they are lovely treasures. I love your collection."

"Would you bring me something that is yours?"

Arthur smiled and nodded.

"Yes."

Before Arthur went home that night, Eames kissed him more and gave him a pouch full of the coins Arthur had so loved. 

In the morning, when Arthur returned, he had brought something that he felt Eames would like. He waded into the waves rather than jump off the cliffs as he normally did, the sun high and warm and the water was cool as it splashed against Arthur's chest. He clutched the bag firmly in hand as he began to swim and it wasn't long before he opened his eyes and saw Eames swimming beneath him, watching Arthur swim above him. Arthur smile and lifted his head up, throwing his hair back as Eames joined him. They kissed hello and Arthur said,

"I brought you something."

"What?"

"Let's go to your cave. I'll show you there."

Eames nodded and took Arthur's hand as they dove back under and made their way to cave. Once Arthur was able to sit on the shores of the cave, he opened the bag he brought with him and produced an orange. Eames held it and looked it over, his hands examining the skin of the fruit and he brought it to his nose, smelling it.

"What is it?"

"It's food. It's an orange."

"I didn't know you could eat these."

Arthur smiled and took it for a moment, digging his thumb into it and taking off a bit of the skin.

"You can eat the inside of it. It's sweet."

Eames smelled it and took a bite from the space Arthur had opened and spilled juice down the sides and Arthur laughed as he reached for it, telling him to peel more of the skin off. After chewing and smiling, Eames said,

"It's good!"

"It's better if you open it more."

Arthur showed him, peeling off the skin and then breaking open the orange to reveal slices that were much easier to eat. 

From time to time, Arthur would bring Eames treasures he felt he would appreciate, tokens, trinkets all things that Eames treasured and loved, especially when Arthur explained to him what they were. In return, Eames would give Arthur the coins he found, the jewels he unearthed and he showed Arthur everything he could, never letting him go when they swam. Every day, Eames looked and held and touched Arthur as if he was the greatest treasure he had ever found. They spent hours talking on ledges, sunbathing as the waves broke and crashed around them. They would swim beneath the surface, Arthur grateful for the length of time he could hold his breathe because he never wanted to miss anything. The schools of fish, the rocks, the coral, the way the sun seem to highlight certain spots, breaking through the water and cutting beams of light onto the sand below them. It was all the most beautiful thing that Arthur had ever seen - Eames not included.

As they bobbed in the ocean one afternoon, Arthur content, holding his arms out to keep himself afloat, Eames doing the same but it was much easier for him, he could feel the spray of water from the flick of Eames' fins, he could feel the waves carrying him, embracing him and holding him up. He could feel the sun warm on his skin and he smiled. When he hear Eames moving, Arthur held his breath and sunk below the surface for a moment to wet his face and when he resurfaced, Eames was watching him before he reached for him. Arthur had always gone willingly into Eames' embrace. He allowed his touch, his kiss, mainly because he wanted it too. Eames held his face, rubbing the pad of his thumb against Arthur's lip.

"You should stay with me."

Arthur smiled sadly at him, looking down at the water for a moment before he answered.

"I can't. I would drown."

Eames frowned then, holding Arthur as he turned them around.

"I would keep you safe."

"I'm human, Eames. Eventually, I have to go back on land."

"If you could stay with me, would you?"

Arthur thought about it. He had loved the ocean and as a child, he always wanted to stay there. He couldn't even count how many times he wishes to be able to breathe underwater, just to stay forever. But he grew up, he knew he could never and he stopped wishing for it and just enjoyed what he could. Having it brought into question, made Arthur feel sad because he knew it couldn't happen. He couldn't meet Eames' eyes but he answered.

"I would."

Eames smiled then , pulling him back for another kiss.

When the sun began to go down, Eames went out as far as he could, not wanting Arthur to let go of him, but he had to.

"Will you return tomorrow?"

Eames asked each day that Arthur began to make his way to shore and every day, Arthur nodded and said,

"Yes. I'll be back in the morning."

Eames kissed his hand and let him go and it wasn't until Arthur was safely walking on the beach did Eames go back under. Every morning, Arthur would return and resume his days with Eames, falling in love with him more. But he felt as if he had a lot of catching up to do, Eames already loved him dearly and showed him every chance he could. It made Arthur never want to leave and it hurt his heart every time he had to leave when the sun went down. But he felt as if he was alive again when the sun rose and he was able to leave his home and go back to the sea, back to his beloved's embrace.

Months passed and each day became harder than the last to leave. Arthur had never wanted to stay behind as badly as he did one day. He was near the shore, the waves urging him back to land and Arthur could feel Eames' hand in his own. He held onto him tightly and felt the pain, the anxiety that had been surging inside him when the hours began to fall off the clock. When Eames noticed that Arthur was staying still, making no attempt to move forward, he turned to him and asked,

"Arthur?"

"I don't want to leave. I never want to leave.."

Arthur felt conflict - his emotions coming over him. He was elated that Eames wanted him to stay, but miserable that he had to go anyway. At least for now. Eames watched Arthur turn to him, putting his arms around him and holding onto him and Eames held him tightly.

"You'll come back tomorrow right?"

Arthur sighed, 

"Yes...but I wish I didn't have to leave."

Eames kissed his face gently, waiting until Arthur looked back at him. Without promising him anything, he kissed him again. 

That night, while Arthur was home, he couldn't sleep. He hung out by his bedroom window, listening closely to the ocean that had always seemed a stone throw away.  That night, it seemed closer than before and it felt as if it was calling to him. Arthur was no longer a child. His mother passed away some years ago and his father worked all the time to keep their humble home afloat. Arthur too was meant to get a proper job to help but with the coins he had been getting from Eames, he no longer had to worry about it. It helped his father tremendously and took pressure off the both of them. Arthur let his arm hang from the window sill as he dreamed of Eames, of the ocean, of a life that seemed suddenly so possible.

When the sun rose that morning, Arthur slowly crept out of his house and ran to the beach, ran to the cliffs like he always had. He looked down at the water and undressed, throwing down his shirt and his shoes and before he jumped, he felt something different. He felt as if this was the last time he would do this and he took a deep breath before diving in.

He could hear the sounds of the air going past him and he closed his eyes at the final second before he hit the water. He felt the chill of the water the rushing waves past his ears and when he opened his eyes, he saw Eames swimming towards him. His hands immediately took him and they both rose to the surface and Arthur took a breath of air. Eames smiled at him, bringing his hands to Arthur's face.

"You came back."

"I always do."

He felt Eames holding onto him tightly and Arthur held onto him too, feeling safe...at home. He had always felt as if the ocean loved him back as he loved it and now he understood why.

"I never want to leave you."

Eames moved back, looking at him with a smile.

"If you come with me...you'll never be able to go back."

"There's nothing for me on land."

Eames brought Arthur's hand to his mouth, kissing it.

"If you're sure.."

Arthur nodded. Eames began to submerge again, taking Arthur with him and Arthur willingly went, trusting Eames, knowing he wouldn't harm him and when they were under again, Eames pulled him close again, kissing him, sharing his breath with him as he always had only now it was different. Arthur wasn't struggling for air anymore, suddenly, it felt as he was breathing normally and when he pulled back, Eames smiled at him, understanding that Arthur could breathe just like him. 

While Arthur had so many questions, so many things he wondered about, he didn't care to ask them. He could stay with Eames now, he could live with him and stay in the place he had longed for. 

Eames never let his hand go as they began to swim - together.


End file.
